Bright Fuchsia at Blickling

I returned for a Wednesday session at Blicklingthis week. I joined a group detailed to tidying up the front edge of the moat, sitting directly in front of the main house entrance.

After a briefing from Assistant Head Gardener, Steve, we set about releasing a line of rather old, gnarled Fuchsia magellanica bushes from a smothering of Clematis montana, the latter climbing up the inside of the moat wall, scrambling over the metal post and rail fence and tumbling over the fuchsias.

Steve told us the plan was to cut down the Clematis after flowering and try to control it’s growth a bit more. This is a very vibrant plant and once established can easily smother anything that gets in its way. Steve had already prepared the job for us by using the hedge cutter to remove most of the fuchsia stems. I set to work trying to remove much of the dead Clematis stems that had accumulated over several years.

It was tough going, trying to preserve some living and soon-to-flower stems, whilst at the same time cutting back the remaining fuchsia stems. The rest of the group followed on by tidying around the fuchsias, removing quite a few leaves and tickling over the soil.

By the end of the day we had completed the whole border, and finished off by wrapping the surviving Clematis stems around the tops of the posts and tying them to the rails. Hopefully, we’ll still see some flowers in a month or two, before the uncovered fuchsias bloom later in the year.

before…

during…

after…

As we worked, we spoke to several visitors as the House fully opened this week, and it was amusing to see and listen to members of ‘The Diggers’ group who dress up in period costume and impersonate various characters in Blickling’s past. Today visitors were cheerily greeted by former Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin and the Blickling Head Gardener, circa 1939!

I popped over to the Walled Garden where the replacement cold frames were in the course of being installed. The Staffordshire company who have made these (and who also restored the greenhouses), have done a great job. I was interested to learn that the frames feature plastic glazing which has been pre-fitted. This will lighten the panels and provide a safer surface, as he frames are strung out alongside paths.

It was also good to see the various metal arches that will form the ‘Fruit Tunnel’ along the central pathway. These are now loosely placed in their holes, awaiting concreting in, followed by painting and planting up.